A Great Stay At Quintas Papagayos, Ensenada

PAPAGAYOS RESORT - ENSENADA

Almost one month ago we stayed in Quintas Papagayos Resort for two days while northbound from Mulege. I've stayed many times in the past 30 thirty years, but not in this particular bungalow. It was race week, we had no reservations, and We are full. Sorry, senor. "

... Except for one unit only..the honeymoon suite with a jacuzzi..

...which they would discount a lot to accomodate us. I figured I was lucky to get anything at all during this super busy time.....and was grateful for the discount. The normal prices at this resort run from $65-$199 night. There are many types of units to choose from. All are nice.

For those of you who don't know Papagayo's location, it's right on the beach next to the marina..just a few minutes north of downtown on the main highway. 60 miles south of TJ.

I borrowed this map from the hotels' website



This is a photo of 2 Ensenada places where we usually stay. The Corona is okay, too, but getting a little hard to park and enter. I don't like elevators and inside entrys...a personal thing. Papagayos sign is pretty easy to spot as you drive the malecon.

Quintas Papagayo
Km. 108, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada C.P. 22870
Col. Las Playitas
Tel. (646) 174-4575 y (646) 174-4980
Fax. (646) 174-4155
Ensenada, Baja California México
Email:quintaspapagayo@prodigy.net.mx

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The suites are open and airy...very inviting and cozy. Raised fireplaces. Good vino from the bar.

We were going to make a fire and I noticed there was no firewood. I picked up the phone to order some from the front desk, when the knock came at the door. Enter Antonio with a wheelbarrow of wood and some kindling..started a fire.. and gave us a nice cozy atmosphere...what a savior. He got a good tip for reading our minds.




One of my favorite places, sitting in front of a warm fireplace..


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but having a c-cktail on the terrace overlooking the marina and the far-off ocean horizon wasn't bad either.

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fully eqipped kitchen.


The first day I noticed the only defect in the place..but the next day I said it looked better that way.
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There was a California king bed upstairs, large airy bedroom with a jacuzzi overlooking the bay below.




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Great jacuzzi with a killer view...good jets.


A nice bathroom with large shower.




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Right next to our two-story suite is the marina and a nice walkway. nice beach to walk.



In the course of our stay, we took many walks along this shore...so relaxing when you know the fridge is just a few steps away.

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I went outside to get some things from the pickup. "Hello, Pompano." greeted me from a nice guy who introduced himself. He turned out to be a fellow nomad. It was great to meet him as I've read his posts with enthusiasm for a long time. I asked how he knew who I was..he said he's seen me on the forum a few times. So..small wonder, duh..it's happened before and it's a good way to meet fellow Nomads.

I never asked if I could use his name here, so I won't. Suffice to say, he knows a LOT about racing and maintaining a crew. Also met his delightful wife. They, along with their crew, were looking to be having a great time. I wonder how they did that Sunday?...a one-day event they worked hard to win.







The place was fairly packed with other racing teams and it was an education to talk to these veterans competitors. Everybody looked very professional and experienced. Qualities needed, I expect, in such a grueling event.
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A watchman has just walked out of camera view when I snapped this photo.


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Here's a little anecdote about security at the resort:

Papagayos has 24-hr security.... and they are way serious about it.

Now this is second-hand info, so we can't attest to it's accuracy. But if it's true, it's a damn good story.
Indeed, we were told by some other guests that the gaurd had just shot a trespasser the night before.

We were told that the gaurd yelled at the interloper to "ALTO..STOP!"..but the hombre starts running away...so the gaurd hauls out his pistola and drills him, dropping him & wounding him pretty good...but then the guy gets up and makes his escape..limping off with a hole in him. SO we were told.
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Luckily I still have our flak jackets from the last skirmish through Tijuana...in case we want to take a late walk along the malecon and the gaurd wants to boost his shooting average.
We practice rolling behind boulders and yelling.."ALTO?..ALTO?..SI!..ALTO!..Si, senor, we are altoed."
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Below, a new friend well met:


Here's a new amigo I met while at the resort. A fellow veteran driver of the Baja Road. Another nomad who was staying at Papagayos told him about us and how many years I have been making the trip. We had a great visit and laughed at some to the wild things we had seen over the years. Besides being an over the road driver, he was probably hauling racers or equipment for a race going on that coming weekend...one day only..Sunday, June 6th, I think it was. Heckuva nice fellow. I kinda think we'll be meeting up again ..out there on The Road.
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A nice treat.

A real plus for Co-pilot and myself were these pretty bouganvillas growing around our suite...and some ended up growing from my pickup dash.
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Final say about our stay...



Quintas Papagayo has indescribable sunsets. Every suite has a balcony overlooking the blue pacific.

'Best-time-ever' recommendation..pour a tall iced-down gin ricky, hang a slice of lime on it to get you in that Hemmingway mood, sit down in a comfy cushioned wicker armchair out on the deck... and look for the Green Flash.

If you missed tonight?.....well, there's always tomorrow.. right, tesoro?












[Edited on 7-3-2010 by Pompano]

Opps..dunno how that zero got squeezed in there, Dennis. The hour was late..the wine was bueno. Ken's right..the rates range from $65 to $199. I went back and edited it correctly. Did read a little weird, eh?


The first time I ever stayed at Papagayos I asked the manager if I could buy a couple of patio chairs from our bungalow..because they were so comfy and also so nostalgic of another era. A combo of wicker and Adirondack styling is just part of it's character and charm.

Anyhoo...ever since then it's been a relaxing experience and I've always recommended the place. Over the years I've received many thanks from friends who stayed and enjoyed themselves. One such thanks was from a Baja amigo who has been making the trip for 30 years and was amazed that such a place existed.

One of the things folks like me, Ken, and my new trucker friend like..is the ample parking available for trucks, trailers, boats, etc.

Of course, we can't forget about that great 'security' gaurd...

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wessongroup...afraid I can't help you there. All I know is..it was an off-road race on wheels... I'm a horse fan.

[Edited on 7-3-2010 by Pompano]

confused....